Kiki Mladenovic

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Exclusive Interview: @KikiMladenovic Perseveres in Heat of Battle @CitiOpen; @SabineLisicki Back to Winning Ways in Washington

Posted by Admin on August 3, 2017
Posted in: Citi Open, Washington, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Exclusive Interview: Kiki Mladenovic Perseveres in the Heat of Battle at Citi Open;  Lisicki Back to Winning Ways in Washington
Steve Fogleman, Tennis Atlantic

Kiki Mladenovic was struggling throughout her match with the heat yesterday in a brutal 3-set win against Tatjana Maria at the Citi Open in Washington. In the end, she easily showed that she’s earned the title of prime contender against top seed Simona Halep, who was resting from her win more for than 24 hours after Mladenovic advanced. She made time for an exclusive interview with Tennis Atlantic after the match.

There was some talk in the media this week (and every year) about the fact that the women play in the afternoon and the men follow later during what are inevitably  cooler temperatures with more fans in the stands. So what about the idea that the WTA players get the worst tee-times at Citi Open, in the high heat of the D.C.-in-August day? Would she like to play a little later in the afternoon? Mladenovic put it in perspective.

Kristina 'Kiki' Mladenovic, 2017 Citi Open (Photo: Teninis Atlantic)

Kristina ‘Kiki’ Mladenovic, 2017 Citi Open (Photo: Teninis Atlantic)

“I would love to. I wish” she said, “but I cannot complain. The men and the women struggle the same way. They played really late last night. We were in bed watching, them, the men, last night so you get some compromises, I guess. Hopefully, it gets easier with the upcoming scheduling in the coming days.”

Exactly 10 months ago, she was #57 in the world. Today, she’s #13. Exactly what is going on here?

“My motto hasn’t changed. Lots of work, like everybody, I guess. But I believe in the process and the journey. I’m giving it all everyday. I’m trying to find all the details I can to improve and be a better player each day.”

“The biggest difference would be my physical condition. I think I’ve improved a lot in my movement and my strength.”

She noted that she’s “very happy” with the 2017 season thus far.

Mladenovic plays Canada’s Bianca Andreescu tomorrow on Grandstand 2, which hardly seems fitting for the putative #1 seed of the tournament until Simona Halep was denied a wild card to Stanford. Either way, Mladenovic is content to earn everything she achieves, here and beyond.

Sabine Lisicki, 2017 Citi Open

Sabine Lisicki, 2017 Citi Open (Photo: Tennis Atlantic)

Sabine Lisicki is indeed back to her winning ways. After an absence from the tour due to injury, Lisicki edged past plucky Valentini Grammatikopoulou 7-6, 7-6 at Citi Open in Washington today. Lisicki wasn’t thrilled with her play, but she’ll take the win and advance to the second round against Aryna Sabalenka tomorrow. “It was my first hard court match since last year. Lots of things I need to improve on,” she told Citi Open Radio immediately after the match. Lisicki was sidelined for the first half of the season with shoulder problems. No matter what her ranking, the US fans adore Lisicki and the feeling was clearly mutual today after the match.

 

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2017 @CitiOpen Women’s Preview, Predictions

Posted by Admin on July 31, 2017
Posted in: Steve Fogleman, Washington, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

2017 Citi Open Women’s Preview, Predictions
Steve Fogleman, Tennis Atlantic

Citi Open 2017

Citi Open 2017 (brought to you by the kid who dressed up as Kiki for Halloween)

It that’s time of year again when an unpredictable women’s field comes to town for an International level WTA event at the Citi Open in Washington. With past champions like Magdalena Rybarikova and Yanina Wickmayer,  well, almost anyone in the field stands a chance to make the semis or better. Except this year. The imposition of world #2 Simona Halep, a big name for an event of this grade, sharply increases the competition and diminishes the volatility of this field.

Citi Open
WTA International
July 31-August 6, 2017
Washington D.C., USA
Surface: Hard
Prize Money: $250,000

Top 8 Seeds

1: Simona Halep (2)
2: Kristina Mladenovic (13)
3: Lauren Davis (34)   eliminated
4: Julia Goerges (40)
5: Oceane Dodin (55)
6: Monica Niculescu (59)
7: Ekaterina Makarova (58)
8: Christina McHale (61)

With the exception of Halep, this is a typical International level field.

Top Half:

simona-halep

Simona Halep

The world #2’s had an interesting and disappointing summer. Simona Halep had a chance to become the world #1 on her racquet but passed on the opportunity. However, opportunity knocks very loudly this summer as eight or more players have a chance to become #1 with massive points on the line in coming weeks in New Haven, Cincinnati and New York. Halep’s first round match will find her facing the not-yet-ready-for-primetime Sloane Stephens as she re-enters the workforce. The second round will find Halep beating the winner of Shelby Rogers or Mariana Duque-Marino. After that, Halep can expect Kate Makarova in the quarters. Makarova will have arrived there after a probable victory over qualifier, Louisa Chirico, who will defeat Monica Puig in the opening round. With the head to head 3-1 in favor of Halep, I would expect her into the semis in a close victory over Makarova. It’s a brutal draw for Makarova, who could have easily found her way to the late rounds in this field.  Of course, no draw was more brutal than Stephens meeting up with Halep in round one.

2016 Citi Open Finalist Lauren Davis was eliminated in the first round before I was able to conclude my analysis.  For now, the Davis quarter is the Dodin quarter. The Frenchwoman opens against Jelena Jankovic. I expect Dodin to defeat the veteran Serb and to beat Sara Errani in the second round. The loss of Davis could benefit Sabine Lisicki, who hasn’t played a lot of tennis this year. I expect Lisicki to defeat Davis’ vanquisher, Aryna Sabalenka, but Lisicki’s Washington tour could likely come to an end in the quarterfinals against Dodin, who has simply played more matches this year.

Bottom Half:

Belinda Bencic & Kiki Mladenovic (Photo: Chris Levy @Tennis_Shots)

2015 Citi Open Doubles Champs Belinda Bencic & Kiki Mladenovic (Photo: Chris Levy @Tennis_Shots)

Kristina Mladenovic was toyed with like a mouse. The expectation was that she would be the tournament’s number one seed until a very fluid race opened up for world #1 and points became a scarce resource among the top echelon in the women’s game heading into the summer hard court series. Enter Halep. Even so, Mladenovic has had an excellent 2017 and looks to continue her ascent into the top ten. Kiki should dispatch Tatjana Maria in the first round, and I predict that she’ll face Kurumi Nara in the quarters.  Nara will have to beat Andrea Petkovic, who is showing signs of slowing down her game and then a slight upset of Genie Bouchard in round two.

Julia Goerges, New Haven

Goerges

In the Goerges quarter, Julia Goerges is ever so slowly put patiently on the cusp of returning to a top 30 player after a high ranking of 15 in 2012. She won’t have a problem with young Canadian Francoise Abanda in round one and will attract the tricky Jana Cepelova in round two. Cepelova has played well in Washington and is always good for an upset–or two. Cepelova could give Goerges a little trouble, but I am going with the German to make it to the quarterfinals and beat Monica Niculescu to advance to the semis.

Jana Cepelova, WTA Washington CitiOpen 2012

Cepelova

Niculescu, who hasn’t played Goerges in five years, split four matches in their prior meetings. Niculescu should dispatch Nao Hibino in the first round and Patricia Maria Tig in round two.

First round upsets yet to come:

Bouchard d. McHale
Chirico d. Puig

Semis:

Halep will roll Dodin while Mladenovic will ease past Goerges.

Final:

Halep has been through far bigger mental and physical challenges than the Citi Open field this year. While she hasn’t exactly been at the top of her game, she should be able to hold off Mladenovic in an exciting three set affair to take the title in the town where the swamp never drains.

So there you have it. A very stable isotope of an event with semifinals of 1 vs. 5 and 2 vs. 4 and a 1 vs. 2 final. Don’t get used to it on the WTA tour.

Make it a Major Already: @CitiOpen With Big Guns Out for 49th Birthday of DC’s Pro Tournament

Posted by Admin on June 20, 2017
Posted in: ATP, Citi Open, Washington, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Stacked: @CitiOpen With Big Guns Out for 49th Birthday of DC’s Pro Tournament

World No. 8 Dominic Thiem and ATP Next Gen Leader Alexander Zverev headline Men’s Field; World No. 12 Kristina Mladenovic and 2016 Finalist Lauren Davis lead WTA roster

Daria Kasatkina (Photo: Tony Callaio)

Daria Kasatkina (Photo: Tony Callaio)

WASHINGTON (June 20, 2017) — The 2017 Citi Open® Tennis Tournament boasts one of its strongest men’s and women’s fields in its 49-year history with the announcement of its world-class roster. Collectively, the international fields, representing 26 countries worldwide, account for two Grand Slam singles titles, six Grand Slam finals, 111 ATP/WTA singles titles, including one former World No. 1.

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Nick Kyrgios, one of the ATP World Tour’s most electrifying players, will make his Citi Open debut this summer, while top American Jack Sock returns to the DC hard courts for the fifth time. The field showcases five of the top ten ATP Next Gen players, with Hyeon Chung, Daniil Medvedev, Jared Donaldson, and Casper Ruud along with previously announced Alexander Zverev. Other players to watch include South African Kevin Anderson, Americans Steve Johnson, Ryan Harrison and Donald Young, Great Britain’s Kyle Edmund and Daniel Evans, Australian Bernard Tomic, and 2014 Citi Open finalist Vasek Pospisil. They join three-time Citi Open champion Juan Martin del Potro, defending champion Gael Monfils, and three-time Citi Open finalist John Isner.

In addition, Mike and Bob Bryan, the winningest doubles team in ATP history, owners of a record 112 titles, have confirmed their participation. The full doubles field is expected the week of July 17.

Belinda Bencic & Kiki Mladenovic (Photo: Chris Levy @Tennis_Shots)

Belinda Bencic & Kiki Mladenovic (Photo: Chris Levy @Tennis_Shots)

On the women’s side, Kristina Mladenovic, who recently reached a career-high ranking of WTA World No. 12, joins the Citi Open field after reaching the French Open quarterfinals. Former U.S. Open champion Samantha Stosur and 2016 Citi Open finalist Lauren Davis will also return to the tournament this summer. Daria Kasatkina, who won her first career WTA singles title this year and defeated current WTA World No. 1 Angelique Kerber twice this year, will make her Citi Open debut. Other players to watch who will be joining Olympic gold medalist Monica Puig and Canadian starlet Eugenie Bouchard are 2013 Citi Open finalist Andrea Petkovic, 2014 Citi Open finalist Kurumi Nara, 2013 Wimbledon finalist Sabine Lisicki, Americans Christina McHale and Shelby Rogers, Former WTA World No. 1 Jelena Jankovic and 2012 French Open finalist Sara Errani.

“This is a phenomenal field. The depth on both the men’s and women’s side speaks volumes about the growth of this Tournament,” said Keely O’Brien, Tournament Director. “I’m thrilled that our fans will get to see these stars compete in our backyard in just a few short weeks. The field will continue to evolve up until the start the tournament, so fans should stay tuned for more exciting additions in the coming weeks.”

Single session tickets, weeklong packages and other ticket plans are on sale now at http://www.citiopentennis.com or by calling the hotline 202.721.9500. Each ticket provides fans access to the action on all six courts, with both men’s and women’s matches, for as many as 24 matches per session. Tickets to gain admission to the tournament’s signature events, including tailgate events, a cocktail challenge, and the first-ever Citi Open Kickoff Party are also on the website.

The Citi Open Tennis Tournament benefits underserved and low-income kids in the D.C. community through the Washington Tennis & Education Foundation. It is one of only 13 elite ATP World Tour 500-level events worldwide and the only one at this level held in the United States. The tournament represents a WTA International event and having both ATP and WTA players provides fans the opportunity to watch simultaneous competitions of both world-class men’s and women’s tennis throughout the nine-day event. It is one of only five U.S. tournaments that include both men’s and women’s fields. Main draw matches of the tournament will be broadcast starting Monday, July 31, on Tennis Channel.

—S. Pegarido, Citi Open

2017 WTA @InteBNLdItalia WTA Preview, Predictions

Posted by Admin on May 14, 2017
Posted in: Niall Clarke, Rome, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

2017 WTA @InteBNLdItalia WTA Preview, Predictions
Niall Clarke, Tennis Atlantic

IBI2017

It is the last grand tournament before the French Open, and one that finishes the back- to-back Premier weeks. The Internazionali BNL d’Italia is here and we have a run down of the 64 woman draw.

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Top Quarter:
It is fair to say that Madrid did not go to plan for Angelique Kerber. The world number one is still trying to find her feet this season, but clay is not her best surface. Kerber should be good for the third round, but things get interesting form then on. She could possibly meet Maria Sharapova in round three, providing the Russian cat beat Christina McHale then the winner of Lucie Safarova vs Mirjana Lucic-Baroni. With Kerber’s struggles this year, Sharapova could make the last eight here, but the world number one will still be the favourite given how soon the Russian is in to her comeback.

Simona Halep once again had a good run in Madrid, so her participation in Rome may slightly be in doubt. Players can often do well one week then withdraw the next so it will be interesting to see if the Romanian heads to Rome. If so, Halep will be one of the favourites. Laura Seigemund or Naomi Osaka will welcome Halep to Rome. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova is projected to face the sixth seed in the third round, but she has a tough draw with Sam Stosur and Anastasija Sevastova in her section.

Prediction: Halep def. Kerber

Second Quarter:
Dominika Cibulkova failed to defend her final points in Madrid, so Rome could be a big tournament for the Slovakian. She will want to avoid another early exit when she faces the winner of Roberta Vinci and Ekaterina Makarova in the second round. The first seeded player projected for Cibulkova is Kiki Bertens. The Dutchwoman played well to make the quarter finals in Madrid and could be a handful for the fourth seed should they meet in the third round. Bertens opens against Monica Niculescu, then will likely face Misaki Doi in the second round. There are some tough matches but Cibulkova will be the favourite to make it to the quarter finals.

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Svetlana Kuznetsova had another good run in Madrid where she made the semi finals. Clay suits the Russian’s game and given the quarter she will fancy another semi final appearance in Rome. Katerina Siniakova or Shuai Zheng will be her first opponent, then possibly Madison Keys in round three. The American could have a difficult match against Caroline Garcia in round three, providing the Frenchwoman is fit after her back injury. But Keys is a former finalist here and could set up an interesting clash with Kuznetsova in the third round.

Prediction: Kuznetsova def. Cibulkova

Third Quarter:
The third quarter is headlined by a player who is out of form, and another who struggles on clay…this could get messy. Johanna Konta has never adapted well to the dirt, and her early exit in Madrid was not a surprise. It will not be a shock to see the Briton struggle against Monica Puig or Yulia Putintseva in round two. Venus Williams is another player who struggles on clay, and she has a dangerous draw against Yaroslava Shvedova. It is a hard section to call as almost every player could make the quarter finals.

Garbine Muguruza’s year did not get any better in Madrid where she lost in round one. The Spaniard did go deep in Rome last year, though, and will be looking to repeat that result in 2017. Muguruza should be good for the third round, but Kristina Mladenovic in the round of 16 could be a bridge too far, if she is not feeling the effects of her run in Madrid. The Frenchwoman has been in fine form this year, and could have a good result again in Rome. Mladenovic opens against Julia Goerges, then plays Alison Riske or Jelena Jankovic in round two.

Prediction: Mladenovic def. Venus

Fourth Quarter:
Karolina Pliskova is another player who often struggles to adapt her game to clay, so there could be another upset on the cards in the fourth quarter. Pliskova was soundly beaten by Sevastova in Madrid, and Carla Suarez Navarro could be a tough match too in the second round of Rome. Barbora Strycova is scheduled for the third round, but the Czech has a tough opener against Daria Kasatkina, then possibly Timea Bacsinszky.

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Elina Svitolina exited Madrid shockingly early, but the Ukrainian could respond well in Rome. The eighth seed faces Alize Cornet or Sara Errani in the second round, two difficult opponents but players she should beat. Elena Vesnina is the projected third round opponent, and the Russian should make it too with a host of qualifiers in the section. It is a good draw for Svitolina, though, who should make the semi finals and possibly go further.

Prediction: Svitolina def. Bacsinszky

Semi Finals:
Halep def. Kuznetsova
Svitolina def. Mladenovic

Final:
Halep def. Svitolina

It is a tough tournament to call because there are so many unknown factors. Halep and Mladenovic are the form players but will their Madrid run leave them fatigued for Rome? The draw is open to a lot of upsets too but I am picking the in-form Halep to go all the way.

Halep Grabs @MutuaMadridOpen Title

Posted by Admin on May 13, 2017
Posted in: Madrid, Niall Clarke, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Halep Grabs Madrid Title
Niall Clarke in Madrid

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Simona Halep is your Mutua Madrid champion after a 7-5, 6-7(5), 6-2 thriller from Madrid.

The match started tensely with Halep struggling to hold serve, but at the second time of asking Mladenovic was able to deal the first blow of the match. Halep was able to break back at 2-1 in another long game, but she lost serve again at 3-3 as the Frenchwoman upped her play. Halep reapplied the pressure late on in the set as nerves started to take their toll on Mladenovic. The Romanian would break back as the 14th served for the set, then again to win the set as the momentum quickly shifted in her favour.

Halep would break early in the second, but was immediately pegged back by Mladenovic. The Frenchwoman was seemingly struggling with her back throughout the second set, something she commented on after the semi final, but she kept her side of the scoreboard ticking and the match got tenser and tenser as the set wore on. As Mladenovic served to stay in the set at 6-5, the frustration began to show for Halep as she could not put her opponent away. She threw and kicked her racket, and came close to being defaulted as it almost struck an on rushing ball boy. Mladenovic held and the set went to a tiebreak. The 23-year-old took control of a tense tiebreaker and eventually went on to level the match.

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It seemed like Mladenovic had used her energy to level the match, and Halep wrestled back control early in the third with a break of serve. The Frenchwoman struggled to create anything on the Halep serve, and after another long game at 4-2, the defending champion broke again to put an end to any doubt. Halep would successfully serve the match out to win her second Madrid Open title.

Mladenovic struggled with her lower back during the match, but she does not make it an excuse for her defeat.
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“I think that was an amazing final.” Mladenovic said in her post match press conference.

“I don’t really want to talk about my lower back. Obviously I tried not to show anything. You guys are seeing pretty much everything, I guess.”

“Of course, it happened yesterday. I had some tensions, some pain here and there. I was trying not to show anything, not to think about it. I tried to fight over it, continue to enjoy and fight till the end, give everything I had.”

“Honestly, we had an amazing final, and I don’t want to put any comments on my lower back saying that was the reason why I couldn’t make it till the end and win that match.”

“I think, yeah, honestly this final was quite amazing. That’s the feeling I have, because what we did today with Simona on the court, battling for two hours and a half in the last match of the tournament, knowing we for sure had both of us a long and tiring tournament to reach the final, and somehow to push even more to produce probably the best tennis from both of us for the entire tournament.”

Madrid is becoming a happy hunting ground for Halep. She Is now statistically the greatest player in the tournament’s history, winning twice and being a runner up. It is a title win that will serve as a huge boost to her chances at Roland Garros.

“I feel great that I could defend this title.” Halep said post match.
“It means a lot because it’s very big and gives me confidence for the bigger tournaments. I feel that actually I have the game to win big tournaments. I have just to be consistent mentally. Today I struggled a little bit.”

“But in the end, I was stronger. I was better mentally. I’m proud actually that I could stay there focused.It means a lot. It gives me, like, a little bit of relax time. I started pretty bad this year. Now I’m back with the confidence.”

“I just want to enjoy this moment. I’m not thinking about the next tournaments yet. I don’t know how is going to be in the future, the next tournaments, but I feel pretty confident now that I could win so many good matches.”

“The final was great. She played unbelievable.”

My Daughter Is Going As @KikiMladenovic For Halloween Tonight

Posted by Admin on October 31, 2016
Posted in: France, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment
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Annabel Fogleman as Kiki Mladenovic (Photo: TennisAtlantic.com)

My Daughter Is Going as @KikiMladenovic for Halloween Tonight
Steve Fogleman, Tennis Atlantic

My 8-year-old daughter Annabel has been watching a lot of WTA tennis with me over the years, and she’s met a few players while at Citi Open. She surprised me last month when she told me that she wanted to be Angelique Kerber for Halloween. I said, “That’s great, honey, but some people won’t know who you are. Don’t worry about that.”

I realized I unleashed a beast with my words when she did an about-face last week and decided to the be the tennis player she really loves the most: Kiki Mladenovic. Annabel cheered for her while watching the Olympics. She screamed for Mladenovic and #1 doubles partner Caroline Garcia while watching Singapore.

I tried to talk her down.

“Honey, no one will know who you are.”

That won’t stop a kid from wanting to be her all-time favorite for Halloween.

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Annabel Fogleman as Kiki Mladenovic (Photo: TennisAtlantic.com)

Truth is, my daughter has a little French in her on my wife’s side and she likes to display it proudly. I took her to Guadeloupe last January and now she thinks that it’s perfectly acceptable to bring a baguette to the beach.

A lot of Baltimoreans will learn about world #42 Kristina Mladenovic for the first time tonight.

What’s the matter with kids these days?

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Giorgi, Ozaki, @KikiMladenovic, @LaurenDavis93 Complete @WTA Quarterfinals Field @CitiOpen

Posted by Admin on July 22, 2016
Posted in: Citi Open, Washington, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Giorgi, Ozaki, Mladenovic, Davis Complete Women’s Quarterfinals Field at Citi Open
Steve Fogleman, Tennis Atlantic

DSCN3137

Risa Ozaki!

WASHINGTON (July 21)—Risa Ozaki did the most impressing on a light day for women’s singles at the Citi Open in Washington, as she won in three sets. In other action, Camila Giorgi won in a walkover as Tamira Paszek withdrew to injury, and Kristina Mladenovic and Lauren Davis both booked their trip to the quarters in straights.

Ozaki had the perseverance to be down a break in the third after dropping the second set. She’d won the first, 6-1, and looked to be on cruise control until Naomi Broady willed the second set, 7-5.

I interviewed her after the win, but before doubles, which she also won with Shuko Aoyama, 6-4, 5-7, 10-5. She credited her serve today and she’ll need it for…

Tomorrow: Yulia Putintseva.

Lauren Davis scored an upset against Monica Puig 6-4, 6-2.

“It was a great win for me. Monica’s an amazing player and she’s been doing really well this year,” the gracious American said of her opponent in an interview with Tennis Atlantic. She also said she’d like to finish the season in the top 50 or 60. Next up is Camila Giorgi in the women’s nightcap.

Kiki Mladenovic loves to come to Washington for good reason. She’s a 2014 quarter finalist in singles and the defending doubles champ. She breezed past Sabine Lisicki in 67 minutes and looked like she could go another three sets when I spoke with her 3 & 3 win over the former Wimbledon finalist. Yanina Wickmayer awaits.

Top seed Sam Stosur plays wild card Jesse Pegula for the final semi-final spot.

2016 WTA Eastbourne Preview, Predictions

Posted by Admin on June 20, 2016
Posted in: ATP, Niall Clarke, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

WTA Eastbourne Preview
Niall Clarke, Tennis Atlantic

Wozniacki vs Gajdosova 2015 WTA Eastbourne (Elliot Cornish)

The WTA tour hits Eastbourne as the Wimbledon preparations conclude this week.

Aegon International Eastbourne
Tier: Premier
Location: Eastbourne, UK
Surface: Grass
Prize money: $711,778
Date: June 19-25

Top eight seeds (ranking)

  1. Agnieszka Radwanska (3)
  2. Roberta Vinci (7)
  3. Belinda Bencic (8)
  4. Timea Bacsinszky (10)
  5. Petra Kvitova (11)
  6. Svetlana Kuznetsova (12)
  7. Sam Stosur (14)
  8. Carla Suarez Navarro (15)

There are 16 seeds who receive an opening round BYE. Lucie Safarova is the last seeded player in the draw.

First round matches to watch

Barbora Strycova vs CoCo Vandeweghe:

Barbora Strycova

In a rematch of the Birmingham semi final in which the Czech  pulled out a three set victory, Strycova meets Vandeweghe for the second time in as many weeks in the first round of the Aegon International.

It is a nice contrast in styles with the crafty Strycova against the big hitting and heavy serving Vandeweghe. The American looked on her way to victory in Birmingham but Strycova fought back well to take a three set victory.

Vandeweghe’s extra day of rest might play it’s part however as Strycova has to play the final of Birmingham against Keys. Strycova’s game did manage to frustrate her though, will we see a repeat In Eastbourne?

Kristina Mladenovic vs Yania Wickmayer:

Kiki Mladenovic (Photo: Christopher Levy for TennisEastCoast.com)

Kiki Mladenovic (Photo: Christopher Levy for TennisAtlantic.com)

Both players have looked pretty good since the transition to grass and could set up an interesting match against Bacsinszky in the second round.

Wickmayer went to the quarter finals in Birmingham where she eventually lost to the in form Vandeweghe. Mladenovic made the final in ‘S-Hertogenbosch where she also lost to the American, so both players know their way around the grass.

Mladenovic leads the head to head 1-0, but that encounter was three years a go on the hard. Expect plenty of good all court tennis and rallies in what should be a close encounter.

Draw analysis

Top Quarter:

Top seed Radwanska is still trying to find her footing on grass after an early exit in Birmingham last week Unfortunately shew could meet the very player that dumped her out of that tournament in the second round. Vandeweghe is possible, and if it is not the American it could be the in form Strycova. A tough draw for the Pole who could face an early exit. Irina Begu also lands here and will play the winner of Eugenie Bouchard vs a qualifier in the second round.

Kuznetsova has enjoyed a positive 2016 thus far and will look to continue her form on the grass. It’s not the Russian’s best surface though and Yulia Putintseva could make life difficult in the second round. Dominika Cibulkova will look to take advantage as the 12th seed, but she herself will have a testing round two against Daqria Kasatkina or Jelena Ostapenko.

Second Quarter:

Bacsinszky might just be many people’s pick for the title, but first the Swiss must navigate her way through a tough section. Mladenovic or Wickmayer will welcome her to Eastbourne. Former Wimbledon semi finalist Lucie Safarova is also in this section and could be a dangerous player in the draw if firing.

Stosur enters Eastbourne as the seventh seed after a positive clay season. Grass is not her best surface though, and she will meet either Alize Cornet or Caroline Wozniacki in the second round. Madison Keys is in red hot form on the grass, but her exploits in Birmingham could lead to withdrawal or  possible fatigue in Eastbourne.

Third Quarter:

Bencic is the defending champion here and returns as the third seed. The Swiss has been struggling with injury as of late though and  might find her title defence difficult. Heather Watson in front of her home crowd can be a difficult player to beat, and Elena Vesnina is a former champion here herself, so Bencic has a tough opening match. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova  is the other seed in this section.

Suarez Navarro had a good tournament in Birmingham last week, but she was eventually stopped by Keys in the semi finals. The eighth seed has a rather kind draw in the second round, but Pliskova is a dangerous prospect in the third. The Czech faces either Daria Gavrilova or Anna Schmiedlova in her second round encounter.

Bottom Quarter:

Vinci comes into Eastbourne as the second seed but short of form. The grass could help her game though, and we will see an indication against Ekaterina Makarova in the second round. Sara Errani is a player that ahs never been able to really get it going on grass, and the 13th seed could find Andrea Petkovic too much in the second round.

Kvitova is normally a name you mention amongst the favourites in a grass court event, but the Czech has struggled with her form this year. Timea Babos and Camila Giorgi are both big hitters in their own right and could spring a surprise in the second round. Johanna Konta will look to repeat her exploits from last year, but faces a tough round two against Lesia Tsurenko or Laura Siegemund.

Predictions:

Quarter finals:

Radwanska def. Cibulkova

Bacsinszky def. Keys

Pliskova def. Pavlyuchenkova

Konta def. Vinci

Semi finals:

Radwanska def. Bacszinsky

Pliskova def. Konta

Final:

Radwanska def. Pliskova

If Radwanska can get past her second round match then she will be well positioned to take the title here. The Pole is good on grass and has the experience to get through this field.

2016 @WTA @MallorcaOpen Preview, Predictions

Posted by Admin on June 12, 2016
Posted in: Niall Clarke, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

2016 WTA Mallorca Preview Predictions
Niall Clarke, Tennis Atlantic

mallorca 2016

Wimbledon is fast approaching, and the WTA will take to Mallorca for their grass court preparations.

Mallorca Open

Tier: International
Location: Mallorca, Spain
Surface: Grass
Prize money: $226,750
Date: June 13th– June 19th

Top eight seeds (ranking)

  • Garbine Muguruza (2)
  • Jelena Jankovic (24)
  • Ana Ivanovic (25)
  • Kristina Mladenovic (32)

First round matches to watch

Muguruza (Photo courtesy of Mallorca Open)

Muguruza (Photo: Mallorca Open)

Garbine Muguruza vs Kirsten Flipkens: it is always interesting to see how a first-time grand slam winner performs after winning a maiden major, and with Muguruza it is no different.

The Spaniard returns to her home country in preparation for Wimbledon where she made the final in 2015. She has traditionally struggled to adapt to the different conditions, but she found the formula at Wimbledon and seems much more comfortable on the grass.

Flipkens, though is a very solid grass courter and a former Wimbledon semi- finalist in her own right. The Belgian’s form is not great, but she might take inspiration by returning to the grass.

Kiki Mladenovic (Photo: Christopher Levy for TennisEastCoast.com)

Kiki Mladenovic (Photo: Christopher Levy @Tennis_Shots)

Kristina Mladenovic vs Sabine Lisicki: On the subject of former Wimbledon finalists and players who suit the grass, Mladenovic has been drawn against Lisicki.

There is something about the grass that brings the German to life no matter how poor her form. Mladenovic, on the other hand, has found form in recent weeks after a poor start to the season.

Lisicki leads the head to head 2-1, but all their meetings have been on hard courts. This match will likely come down to who is in better form.

Draw analysis

Top Half:

Top seed Muguruza is clearly the best player in the draw, but there’s some real danger in her section. An opening round match against Flipkens is one of them, and it doesn’t get any easier. Julia Goerges or Monica Puig will await in the second round for the winner. Laura Siegemund has also landed in this section, but her form has dropped as of late. Nao Hibino and Saisai Zheng will look to take advantage of that.

Ana Ivanovic’s ranking has fallen outside the top 20 and she will look to use this event as a good booster for Wimbledon, where she will be hoping to climb up a few places. Pauline Parmentier is her round one opponent, and then the Serb is expected to play a Spanish wildcard in the second round. Ivanovic will likely go untested until the quarter final where she is projected to play Caroline Garcia. The Frenchwoman scored a number of victories over the former world number one last year, but she is not a fan of the grass. Carina Witthoeft will look to send Garcia packing early.

Bottom half:

Garcia’s doubles partner Mladenovic lands as the fourth seed and in good form. She will play the ever dangerous but inconsistent Lisicki in the first round. The Frenchwoman will be the favourite to make it out of this section after playing her way into form in recent weeks. Mariana Duque Marino or Alison Van Uytvanck will play Mladenovic in the second round. Eugenie Bouchard is the other seed in the section, but her results recently could lead to a first round exit to Danka Kovinic.

Jankovic is the second seed here, but has a tough draw ahead. Young star Ana Konjuh is not the ideal first round opponent, and the Croatian could cause the upset. Yulia Putintseva will bring her game and feistiness to this section, but she also has a tough drawn with Daniela Hantuchova or Yaroslava Shvedova being her round two opponent.

Predictions:

Quarter finals:

Muguruza def. Siegemund
Garcia def. Ivanovic
Mladenovic def. Kovinic
Putintseva def. Konjuh

Semi finals:

Muguruza def. Garcia
Mladenovic de. Putintseva

Final:

Muguruza def. Mladenovic

It is difficult to look past Muguruza here. She might have a post slam hangover, but the Spaniard has a strong mentality and will be motivated to win at home. Mladenovic will continue her good form into this week but will ultimately fall short.

An Emotional Caroline Garcia After Loss to Cibulkova in Madrid

Posted by Admin on May 4, 2016
Posted in: France, French Open, Madrid, Niall Clarke, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 2 Comments

An Emotional Caroline Garcia After Loss to Cibulkova in Madrid
Niall Clarke, Tennis Atlantic

Caroline Garcia (Photo: S. Fogleman)

It has been an incredible and unpredictable start to the women’s side of the Mutua Madrid Open with many of the top seeds bowing out in the opening two rounds. However one of the more interesting matches came in a top quarter that see’s not a single seeded player left in the section.

On Aranxta Sanchez Vicario stadium, Dominika Cibulkova and Caroline Garcia engaged in a near two hour roller coaster which the Slovakian eventually won 0-6, 6-3, 6-4
The Frenchwoman was on fire in the opening nine games, blasting winners as Cibulkova struggled to keep up. Garcia raced through the first set 6-0 and looked comfortable with a break at 3-0, but then a dramatic shift in momentum saw Cibulkova win the next six games to level the score at one set all.

The third set was fought hard by both players, but Cibulkova held her nerve, and serve, to put score line pressure on Garcia with a 5-4 lead. The 22-year-old then dropped serve with a disappointing double fault to round off a disappointing loss.
“It was not very good actually, and it’s sad I lost today.” aid a tearful Garcia.
“I was good in the beginning, but I lost a bit of my game and she started to play good, and I changed a little bit of my game and it didn’t go where I wanted it to.”
The clay season is big for the Frenchwoman as it all leads up to her home Grand Slam, Rolland Garros. The French Open was the stage where a 17 year old Garcia pronounced herself to the tour by almost defeating Maria Sharapova on Phillippe Chatrier court in 2011. Five years has past since that second round contest, and her home slam has not always been kind to her.

So how does she feel about her game as we fast approach the second Grand Slam of the year?

“My game is just sometimes not going the way I want. I work a lot outside the court and we will see how I play at the French Open, but don’t have a lot of expectations there”, Garcia said.

Despite some disappointing losses at the French Open, the WTA world number 49 won a tournament in Limoges last year and has played well in the Fed Cup in front of her home crowd. However, previous experiences at Roland Garros still play on her mind.

“A lot has happened over there. Sometimes I have played well in the past and sometimes I have had a bad draw in the first round, and last year was not a good match for me, but it can happen everywhere so we will see how this one goes.”

Along with her friend Kristina Mladenovic and compatriot Alize Cornet, there will be a lot of pressure on the French contingent to perform, but first Garcia will finish off her doubles campaign in Madrid then head to Rome next week in the company of her minions.

“I don’t know if I am a big fan (laughs), but I find them funny and I like them.”